Arizona's Maricopa County Library District First to Implement Integrated Solution Using GIS Polaris® and Active Government Software
SYRACUSE, NY - LA JOLLA, CA - March 9, 2005 - GIS Information Systems, Inc., a leading provider of automation solutions for libraries, and Active Government Solutions, a division of The Active Network, Inc, and provider of cashiering and payment management software solutions for municipalities, have partnered to deliver integrated cash management capabilities to libraries. Maricopa County Library District in Phoenix, Arizona, will be the first to implement the companies' solution, delivered through the GIS Polaris® integrated library system (ILS).
Polaris, a third-generation software solution from GIS, automates library operations and facilitates public access to library information while Active Government Solutions software offers an automated payment solution that enables staff to track payments and improve cash handling. The integration of Polaris and Active Government Solutions' Payment Manager and Payment Authorization software modules will provide an end-to-end solution for Maricopa's 14 library branches, which serve a population of 3.9 million in suburban Phoenix and circulate four million items annually.
Now the library can integrate its district cash drawers through the Active Government Solutions modules while enjoying the existing features and functionality of its Polaris software. The integrated solution will also help ease the burden with any audits of its cash-handling practices and enable the library district to integrate with the county's financial systems.
According to Vicki Terbovich, Maricopa information systems (IS) manager, the county's branches use standalone, non-networked cash registers. This means there are multiple staff members handling money throughout the library district with no tie-in to Polaris to track the payment of fines and fees through customer accounts.
"We want to remove any barriers to customer service and provide more customer self-service, which is part of our entire model of service in our libraries," Terbovich said. "We also feel the implementation of this system will resolve some long-standing internal issues with respect to cash-handling processes in all of our branches at the customer service desk."
Active Government Solutions' Payment Authorization module, which processes credit-card transactions, will let library patrons use their library-issued smart cards to pay fines at the self-checkout counter or online, using a credit card, debit card, or stored value on the smart card itself.
"We have a lot of layers here," Terbovich said. "We expect the new solution to not only handle the day-to-day customer service interfaces but also some of our backroom functions and the government systems that are in place for Maricopa County. We're hoping for a full integration for all those disparate systems. All those things play into why we believe this solution is a good choice for us."
Terbovich is looking forward to the new effort leading the way for other libraries facing similar challenges with disparate systems and cash-handling practices. She added, "We're really excited; we like being first. I think other libraries are bound to benefit from our experience and that's one of the things we're hoping for by working with GIS and Active. It's a win-win situation."
About GIS Information Systems
From its beginnings more than thirty years ago, GIS has served libraries with innovative technology, from its first circulation system in the mid-1970s through its third-generation Polaris integrated library system. Ranked higher by users for the quality of customer support they receive than any other public library system vendor, Polaris facilitates all aspects of library operations by providing innovative workflow solutions packaged in a familiar Windows interface. In addition to its library automation systems, GIS offers workflow analysis, database enhancement, wireless access and network security services to libraries of all types.
About Active Government Solutions
Active Government Solutions, a division of The Active Network, Inc., brings a 20-year history delivering organizational efficiencies and improved citizen service to local governments worldwide. A major solutions provider for local governments, the company provides cashiering and payment management software solutions to more than 1,150 local municipalities. The software offers municipalities of any size a centralized, automated payment solution, one set of financial reports, fraud protection, a secure audit trail and reduced administration costs. City departments can also offer citizens access to increased payment options for permits, licenses, taxes and registrations. Windows and Internet-based technologies include Payment Manager and Customer Service Manager. Representative customers include City of Auburn, Washington; City of Moreno Valley, California; and Town of Oakville, Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit www.activegovernments.com.